Submitted Photo Briana Romfo competes in Valorant at the inaugural Great Plains Gauntlet hosted by Minot State University.

Minot State University Senior Briana Romfo was introduced to gaming by her older brother. Playing Roblox together became a bonding for the pair. As she got older, gaming and esports became a form of comfort as well as competition for Romfo.

“After a long day of classes and then having an after-school practice in basketball, I would always look forward to being able to go home and play a game on my laptop to relax, “ said Romfo. “When I graduated high school in 2020, my parents decided to buy me my first PC as my graduation gift. Once I got my new PC, I began to play my first FPS (First Person Shooter) Valorant.”

The elementary education major is currently the esports club vice president and the captain of the Valorant team at Minot State. Having just hosted a two-day tournament for high school, followed by a two-day tournament for college players, Romfo was not only able to compete, but also stream the high school matches, as well as be a guest on a panel about women in esports.

“We had six women on the panel including coaches, competitors and myself,” Romfo said.

“Overall, this tournament was important, especially for me, to host. It provided experiences for students that I never had the chance to partake in growing up. I believe it’s important to continue tournaments like the Great Plains Gauntlet as esports has a great and supportive community that is continuously growing.”

As a woman in esports Romfo has experienced her fair share of sexism and the overall misogyny associated with esports. But with the support of her teammates Romfo truly believes in the growth of women in esports and the community it allows you to build.

“Although esports has been amazing, it has been challenging because I am a woman,” Romfo said. “At my very first LAN (Local Area Network) tournament, as I went over to speak with the other team captain about map picks and bans, which is when the two captains from each team decide what map they will play against one another on, they completely ignored my approach and walked past me to one of the men on my team to make the decision. My teammate redirected them towards me and we were able to begin but moments like that can be very challenging. Thankfully, my team is very supportive of me and my passion for the game. They continue to push me to be better and encourage me to keep my head up.”

Although challenges like this may arise, Romfo finds that the esports community is changing for the better.

“Being the only woman that competes competitively at Minot State University doesn’t change the fact that I love this community,” she said. “The program here on campus has really become a second family for me and I wouldn’t be who I am today without any of them. Through the ups and downs, we all work through it.”

“My younger sister is now the captain of her team and she has two talented women on her team as well. We’re seeing girls join this community more and more each year and I ask that everyone continues to support and encourage anyone who wants to be a part of it. I hope to be an inspiration for other women who are debating if they should esports. My advice to them is just do it – you have nothing to lose. Being a part of esports can be a place you feel heard, you feel seen and especially you can be you,” Romfo said.